Price of Ambition
by StrayValkyrie
Summary: There was no cost too great for Bumblebee to have Sam at his side forever.


_**Price of Ambition  
**_

_**

* * *

**_The road was open before them. Four lanes on each side of the highway and everyone of them empty, obstructed only by a variety of abandoned papers and plastic bags. Sam didn't bother to fight the liberated smile that turned his lips, instead focusing his attention on the feeling of the wind rushing in through open windows over one-hundred and thirty miles per hour. The sky was crystal clear like a tropical water, dappled with thin and fleeting clouds that stretched across it weakly.

The heavy purring rumble of the engine beneath him caused the steering wheel to vibrate softly under his grip and Sam tightened his fingers, smoothly rubbing them over the leather. The speedometer climbed another ten points before resting comfortably at one-hundred and forty. Sam paid it no mind, enjoying the speed for what it was – freedom. The world swept by on the outside, a myriad of concrete and trees that skirted the lines of the highway. On the inside, however, it was just him and Bumblebee, cruising down an abandoned highway towards a destination limited only by their whims.

He missed his parents, sometimes, and his friends; Mikaela, Miles, Will, even Trent. He often thought that they would have liked to be there, to be here, to share this moment and all the others before it with him. It was a regretful sort of thinking, knowing that they would never have lived so long. Not as long as he. His friends and parents had died over two centuries ago, but it didn't matter. The cool, steady beat of Bumblebee's spark reverberated throughout the interior of the car, echoing in Sam's chest. He felt something inside of him react to it, resonating a warm loving reassurance back to his friend... the only friend he had left. The only one that mattered.

_Are you hungry Sam?_

"No. I'm fine." Sam murmured back, feeling his awareness gently return to him from his wandering thoughts. He was grateful, always reassured by Bumblebee's patient, everlasting presence. He felt the very core of Bee pulsing like a heartbeat, giving him a beacon to return to no matter how far he wandered. Sometimes, Sam would return from his distant memories to find out that days had passed, and they would be on the other side of the world. Bumblebee. His guardian angel. He didn't know what he'd do without him. He'd be lost.

Thirty miles later Bumblebee exited the highway, slowing down to a more desirable speed as he pulled onto a thin, two-lane road that twisted and winded through a dark green forest. The trees were very tall and heavily grown, sheltering the road and it's travelers with thick leaf-covered branches. Sam closed his eyes and leaned back in the bucket seat, enjoying the comfort of the cool leather and the snug fit of the seat belt. The wind carried with it the scent of fresh earth, dampened by a day old rain. It was very refreshing, converging in his lungs with a refreshing crispness.

Bumblebee continued along the road for another thirty minutes before the forest thinned out and ended on the top of a cliff edge. He came to a stop several meters away from the edge, engine rumbling quietly. Beyond the drop-off there was a beautiful view of a straight horizon, although the sun cast a dull, almost sickly orange hue across the border. One large tree grew at the most outward facing point of the cliff, it's old branches low-hung and leaves withering with it's last breath. Beneath the tree sat two oddly shaped stones not natural to the area, with faded words engraved into their surface. The earth was overgrown with golden grass that brushed the camaro's hood with a warm breeze. Beneath them lay the remains of one of the last cities to fall in a war that ended decades ago, the majority of it's skyscrapers lay in crumbling ruins.

_We're here Sam. _

Sam woke up blearily, rubbing his eyes as he straightened in his seat. Unclicking his seat belt, the door opened for him and he stepped out. "Finally. Thought we'd never get here."

Amusement radiated from the pulse of Bumblebee's spark and Sam fondly rubbed the top of the car, patting it a few times before stepping back. There was a mechanical grating sound that signaled the transformation, and then his car began to split apart at the seams. Gears and whirrs sounded as pieces broke apart and slid sideways, reforming to other pieces until finally, Bumblebee stood in a bipedal form nearly fifteen feet tall. His yellow metallic armor glistened flawlessly in the sunlight and Sam smiled up at him as blue optics turned to him.

"So, why are we here Bee? We haven't been in here in ages." Sam remarked, stretching his arms out and windmilling them a little as he walked over to the prominent tree. Standing next to the stones, he sent them a spare glance and kicked at one a little with his toe before kneeling down and brushing off the front of it. Words used to be engraved on it's surface, but they had dulled out over time and were no longer legible. He wondered what they used to say.

_We're here to meet someone Sam._

Sam looked up at his guardian with another smile, "Really? Who? That's great! Who else, Bee? Is it someone I know? Another human, maybe?"

He felt something through Bee's spark then, a deep rumble that rippled through his body and gently uprooted his thoughts, leaving nothing in their place. Sam looked back at the stones and noticed the writing on them was old and faded, and he wondered what they used to say.

A minute later he became aware of a new sound breaking through the tranquility (_Tranquility_...) of distant birds and gentle wind. It was a familiar sound and he stood up from his pondering, brushing his hands off before shielding his eyes as he turned them upwards. It didn't take long before he could see the tattooed fighter jet approaching them, burning twin tails of condensation out of it's back. It spiraled briefly before turning towards them, and the roar of the engines temporarily deafened Sam until it had transformed and landed on their cliff.

The face always reminded Sam of a chicken, for some reason, or some other bird. He never commented on it though, knowing better. Instead, he waved a hand at the looming robot, who stood even taller than his guardian. "Hey, Starscream."

The Decepticon leered at him, his red optics flashing with something Sam could recognize as amusement. "I see your _pet_ is still alive, Autobot."

Sam ignored the comment, walking over to where Bumblebee stood and climbing onto his foot as his guardian bristled.

"Of course I'm not surprised, after everything you did to insure his life." Starscream continued, turning his eyes onto Bumblebee who glared defiantly back. "And the technology was ours, which speaks for itself."

"What do you want Starscream?" Bee asked, kneeling down a little to collect Sam, who happily obliged by crawling into his hand. Raising him to shoulder level, Sam clambered out next to his guardian's head with practiced ease until he sat comfortably, legs dangling over Bumblebee's chest. Sam watched the interaction with a faint grin, once more amused at the bird-like quality Starscream possessed. What made it even more amusing was the fact that Starscream was a flier.

"Such manners," Starscream goaded, "Here I am to depart one final gift for your _aid_ and this is the welcome I receive? If it wasn't for Lord Megatron's order, I'd leave you here on this forsaken dust ball to rust."

"What did you want?" Bumblebee asked again, and Sam looked at the side of his head to a spot that had faded over time. The rest of his guardian's body was smooth and gleaming like new, but he noticed this one particular dis-colored spot had been left to fade. He touched it briefly, smoothing his fingers over the faint red symbol.

"The Decepticons are leaving this planet," Starscream answered, stepping around them to the cliff edge and looking out over the remains of what used to be a large and prosperous city, "There's nothing left here and we're going to find a new world to claim as our own. If it were up to me, I wouldn't have bothered telling you. But Lord Megatron is grateful for your services in the war and has decided to give you one last parting gift for you and your _pet_." He looked over at them on the last word, setting his sight on Sam in particular with a sneer.

"What sort of _gift_?" Bumblebee dared to ask, blue optics dimming in a narrowed gaze. Sam felt his guardian's spark resonating wearily and gently patted the side of his head for reassurance, echoing back a fond warmth. He felt the body beneath him hum in response.

"A ship. For whenever you and your pet decide to leave this dead, forsaken planet."

Bumblebee shifted then, turning to face the Decepticon more easily. Sam found himself very interested in the conversation suddenly, his hand stilling on the symbol he'd been tracing as he listened in. This planet used to be his home, but now it only remained so because Bumblebee was on it. Sam knew that wherever his guardian was, that was where he would be. He felt Bumblebee's spark pulse happily at the thought and Sam smiled, rubbing his fingers over the armor beneath them.

Bumblebee nodded almost imperceptibly, careful not to dislodge Sam. "I accept."

Starscream said nothing after that, though he didn't leave. He stared at the two of them for several long minutes before finally speaking again, in a voice almost too quiet for Sam to hear, "Tell me Autobot... Was it worth it?"

Sam felt Bumblebee stiffen beneath him and he frowned at the discontent, smoothing his hand over the armor and gently running it back and forth in an effort to comfort him. The Autobot slowly relaxed, and Sam knew that even though Bumblebee didn't turn his head he was looking right at him.

"Yes," Bumblebee whispered, "It was."

Starscream laughed then, and Sam jumped in surprise. He'd never heard the Decepticon laugh before, it was a strange, mechanical and alien sound. When he looked at him, Starscream was walking towards them with giant, lumbering steps that made the earth tremble. He lowered himself until he looked at Sam directly, bright red optics blazing. "Enjoy the rest of your eternal life, human... You're the last of your pitiful species."

Sam frowned at him. Not because of his words, but because of the dark anger that burned in Bumblebee's spark afterwards. "I _will_." Sam remarked angrily, although the two words felt exceedingly weak compared to the giant Decepticon. The unspoken didn't need to be voiced, shared between the bond that he and Bumblebee had. So long as he was by his side.

Starscream merely sneered before turning suddenly and transforming within seconds. With an explosion of sound and hot wind the Seeker fled into the sky.

Sam glared at the distant speck long after it disappeared. He continued to smooth his hands over the side of Bumblebee's helmet until he felt the last vestigial remains of his anger fade away, leaving his guardian's spark weary. Sam smiled and gently leaned against the bright yellow helmet, fingertips finding their way back to the faded red symbol he'd been tracing earlier. "Hey, Bee?"

_Yes, Sam?_

"I was wondering... what's this symbol mean?"

Bumblebee was quiet for the longest time, and Sam continued to trace the shallow edges of the symbol. When an hour passed by without a response, Sam didn't mind. He could forgive Bumblebee for not answering if he didn't want to. Bumblebee was his friend, his guardian angel, and as long as they were together, he could forgive Bumblebee for anything.

* * *

_This is my first attempt at Transformers fanfiction. How'd I do? :D_

_Although this is technically a one-shot, there _could_ be more in the form of either a prequel or sequel. So, how about it? If I was to write more, would you want to read a prequel as to how things got this way? Or a sequel, which would feature Bee and Sam either A) leaving Earth, or B) remaining on Earth and finding pockets of survivors._

_Or, should I just leave it alone?  
_


End file.
